The Gilded Pear

Rebecca Thredgold began her online homewares store, The Gilded Pear, in 2013 to pursue her passion for beautiful homewares and interior design.

Rebecca made the decision to leave her high-pressure job in marketing, where she was commuting between Melbourne and Adelaide, with a goal to spend more time with her family and to have more freedom to travel.

Working in the online space has allowed Rebecca to do exactly that, and being an owner operator has given her the opportunity to operate flexibly to pursue other passions outside of work.

Supporting Australian business and products is something Rebecca values highly; The Gilded Pear only stocks high-quality Australian products. Excellent customer service is also of the utmost importance; Rebecca deals with all of her customers personally to ensure that they have a streamlined shopping experience.

“Australia is about to experience a shift from in-store shopping to online. It’s already happening; younger generations do everything digitally,” says Rebecca.

A background and experience in marketing has also provided Rebecca with the knowledge and expertise required to set up and run an online business, but she notes that having your own business has definitely been a different experience to traditional corporate life.

“I always joke that I went from having Monday morning coffee meetings, with a whole team to support me, to now it being me, myself and I on a Monday morning planning the week ahead,” says Rebecca.

Rebecca is a completely self-taught and self-operating businesswoman, so the availability and affordability of such an easy and simple program like Cashflow Manager has allowed Rebecca to manage her finances and business herself, without outside help.

Exciting prospects lie ahead for The Gilded Pear in 2019, as Rebecca expands her offering to include affordable interior design services, provided electronically.

Alex Channing Bricklaying

Alex Channing Bricklaying was established in 2009, when Alex finished up his apprenticeship and decided to start his own business.

Alex went into business with Howard Ryall, who had previously taken Alex on as an apprentice, and the two have been working alongside one another ever since, enjoying the benefits of working within a close-knit team.

The services that Alex Channing Bricklaying offer includes bricklaying for new homes, home additions, home renovations, air conditioning patch ups and fences.

As a business owner, Alex enjoys the flexibility that comes with running his own business; including the opportunity to manage his own time and business commitments to the benefit of his personal life. This may mean working over weekends or taking an early minute to go fishing when the business allows.

He particularly enjoys the tradesperson nature of his business and the lifestyle it affords him.

“I love running my own business because I get to be outdoors, not stuck inside an office all day,” says Alex.

Alex acknowledges that running your own business comes with some challenges too. Things like making sure jobs are always ready for their arrival on site, keeping in contact with supervisors and keeping them accountable, and ensuring builders are paying their invoices on time, are all part of the job.

Cashflow Manager makes these challenges a lot easier for Alex.

In the future, Alex wants to take on a young apprentice to pass on the knowledge and expertise that Alex has gained throughout his career.

“I want to make sure there are still plenty of bricklayers to come into the trade into the future,” says Alex.

Greenhill Wines

Paul and Penny Henschke opened the Greenhill Wines café and cellar door in July 2017.

Located in the picturesque Adelaide hills region, Greenhill Wines sells wine on and off site, wholesale and retail. They also run a café which serves snacks, lunches and caters for special events.

It's not just the beautiful view of the Piccadilly Valley that makes Greenhill Wines so special, but the wine is actually created from the grapes that you can see from the cellar door.

Paul and Penny are a perfect match. Paul, a wine scientist, makes the wine and Penny makes all the food at the café. They are always at the cellar door to greet their visitors and they value the strong connection they have with the local community, having lived there for over 30 years.

The couple use Cashflow Manager to manage the bookkeeping side of their business and enjoy the simplicity it provides them.

Penny says “Cashflow Manager is simple to use for my purposes, and I like the fact that I have to reconcile the bank statements every month – it means I never get behind! I also like the prompt response I get from the support team whenever I request assistance”.

“I have always used Cashflow Manager for our business, but before I had to manage our complex family finances without it, and tax time was a nightmare. I cannot imagine how I could manage a business without Cashflow Manager”.

Julan Soft Furnishings

Judith Roberts had been in the furnishing manufacturing industry for a number of years before retiring to have children. One day her old boss rang her and asked for her help with some jobs. Soon other decorators she used to work with found out she was working again and started asking her to work for them again too.

At this point Judith was in such high demand that she bought her own machinery and equipment and started up her own business from home. She gradually expanded to the store and warehouse location she is in today.

Julan Soft Furnishings specialize in all things windows – curtains, blinds and all the little accessories that go with them. This includes bedspreads, cushions and all the other little things that make a house a home.

The difference at Julan is that they manufacture their own curtains onsite, and every sales person can complete the manufacturing process. Judith says it allows each staff member to understand how fabrics work, how things look and to make sure the work is done right.

Judith started off doing her books using a spreadsheet, but soon realized that she needed something more advanced due to her business’ needs.

Her accountant suggested that she use an accounting system on the computer, but the one he recommended was too difficult for her and she became very frustrated. Her accountant then introduced her to Cashflow Manager about 9 years ago. Because it was very simple, she found it very easy to use in her business.

“The reason I would recommend Cashflow Manager is because it is a very simple system, anybody can operate it, it can be adjusted for any business, and finding out how your business is going is so easy with the reports system”.

Kitchen & Renovation Concepts

Started in 2010, Kitchen & Renovation Concepts is a ‘one stop shop’ for kitchen and renovation products. They are now the largest supplier of domestic retail kitchens in Dubbo, offering products for both the DIY and custom market.

Although kitchen products are the core focus of the business, they also supply laundry, bathroom, wardrobe and commercial joinery as well as a range of complementary products such as tiles and floating floors. As well as selling kitchen and renovation products, they also offer installation of their products by their team of qualified and professional cabinetmakers.

Kitchen & Renovation Concepts is different from most conventional kitchen joineries in that they offer both a flat pack and custom option. This allows them to offer products that are affordable and yet cater for individual customer requirements.

They have also just installed a Biesse CNC manufacturing system for our cabinetry. This will enable computer assisted automatic production of cabinets. This will mean they are less reliant on imported product and will gradually be able to change to a product fully manufactured in Australia, creating Australian jobs and supporting Australian manufacturing at a time when many manufacturing businesses are closing. This machine will be the only one of its kind in New South Wales outside of the Sydney metropolitan area and will see the business leading the field in innovation in regional New South Wales.

‘The ease of Cashflow Manager is definitely one of its strengths. Compared to many other accounting systems, it is very easy to use and does not demand a high level of accounting skills.’

East Coast Embroidery

A professional company needs a professional image. East Coast Embroidery can help you attain this with its extensive range and options of apparel embroidery.

Sharon Williams, owner operator of East Coast Embroidery, mainly embroiders work clothes (which offers a tax relief) but also can embroider anything from promotional caps to sporting club apparel, such as shirts, shorts, bathers, bags, etc.

Also, if you are stuck for a supply of quality clothing to embroider, Sharon can also supply clothing at wholesale prices.

East Coast Embroidery is located on the Sunshine Coast and comprises of a husband and wife team along with 1 full time employee.

“We feel we are different from our competitors as we will take the stress out of organising work uniforms and come to you or your staff meeting with a range of samples and examples of designs,” says Sharon.

Sharon believes making the process easier for the client is an important factor in building customer relations.

East Coast Embroidery go even one step further for their customers: “We can also offer advice in the design of your company logo,” says Sharon.

‘Cashflow Manager gives us a good overall look at how our business is operating and enables us to keep a constant eye on cash flow. Invoice Manager is very helpful for me as when a customer phones up and wants to order the same as 12 months ago, I have enough detail on the old invoice to be able to re-order with no stress to the customer or myself for that matter.‘

Limestone Coast Maintenance

Wayne and Tina Steinborner’s lives are anything but simple. Along with owning two businesses, Salt & Pepper Seafood and Limestone Coast Maintenance, they are also active Country Fire Service volunteer fire fighters.

Salt & Pepper Seafood isn’t your typical fish and chip shop. They sell local fish, most of which have come straight off the boat and into the shop from Cape Jaffa, which is only an hour away. Along with this fresh fish, they also sell burgers, yiros, ice cream, homemade potato cakes, hot dogs and chips cooked in cholesterol free oil.

Their other business, Limestone Coast Maintenance is a farm windmill and home repair business. They are the stock water solution for the lower south east of South Australia, and their home repair services range from mowing lawns, to fixing gutters.

‘With our very busy lives our book work needs to stick to the kiss theory (keep it simple stupid) and Cashflow Manager definitely helps us with this. I find just a few hours a week and the data entry is done. It is also very easy to have a look at where we are financially with just a click of the mouse. Employing a number of staff, we also find it very quick and simple to work out wages and super. Even my husband who hates computers can use this program and we recommend it to everyone‘

Green’s Pest Services

Green’s Pest Services have been in business in Dubbo for 23 years. Owner Peter Green loves Dubbo and says that it has been a great place to set up his business. Green’s Pest Services specialise in all kinds of pest control, including birds, mice, and insects. They believe that in solving a pest problem a process needs to be involved. This starts with a thorough inspection and pest identification, which is essential to determining the right solution to your problem. Green’s Pest will help you to develop the right pest management solution that will enable you to be in control of what is happening in your home.

Similarly, Peter has found Cashflow Manager to be the perfect solution for managing his business finances. He says, ‘I have used Cashflow Manager for about 10 years after trying another accounting system and have found it to be the easiest for a one man show like my business. The customer support service has been outstanding and I hope to continue our relationship for many years to come’.

‘I have used Cashflow Manager for about 10 years after trying another accounting system and have found it to be the easiest for a one man show like my business.‘

Lyon Conveyancing

Established in Adelaide in 1968, Lyon Conveyancing is a family-owned Property Conveyancing business.

Lyon offer a range of services including:

Sale and purchase of residential and commercial properties

Land divisions (Torrens Title & Community Title)

Private contracts

Family and matrimonial transfers

Preparation of form 1’s

Title insurance

Lyon understands that buying or selling a property can be a daunting process and that legal requirements can be confusing sometimes. Lyon will not only assist clients in meeting their legal obligations but will protect the client’s rights and interests.

Lyon have been using Cashflow Manager for over 6 years to do their books and pay their team of four conveyancers and support staff.

‘I love how simple Cashflow Manager is to use. It frees up my time to do my real conveyancing work, allows me to spend time with the family, does all my wages and it makes the accounting process simple and easy.‘

Classic Hair Design

Classic Hair Design have been in business in Rockhampton since 1982. They offer all aspects of hairdressing, facial waxing and tinting along with spray tanning. Three senior hairdressers, one full time apprentice and one school based apprentice work at the salon.

Owner, Mary Granville describes the Classic Hair Design as 'a very friendly salon in the suburbs' that provides excellent service and a glamorous salon experience at prices the average family can afford.

Mary uses Cashflow Manager to take care of the bookkeeping for her small business, which gives her more time for her hobbies which include playing golf and visiting the beach.

‘'Cashflow Manager is a simple way of bookkeeping with a caring support network. The technical support staff are always able to assist with my problem and give encouraging advice.‘